Naisipinal na ng Philippine Army at US Army ang training sites kung saan gaganapin ang “Salaknib 2022” ang joint exercises ng dalawang armies.
Tatlong araw nagsagawa ng site inspections ang Office of the Chief of Staff for Education and Training, OG8, sa pakikipag tulungan ng United States Army Pacific (USARPAC).
Mahalaga ang inspection para matiyak ang availability, suitability, at training-worthiness ng mga nasabing training sites.
Ang Salaknib Exercise ay gagawin sa iba’t ibang sites sa Central Luzon.
Ayon kay Philippine Army Spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad, ang Salaknib ay isang annual exercise na sponsored ng USARPAC at hosted Philippine Army.
Sinabi ni Trinidad, ang Salaknib Exercise ay naglalayon na palakasin ang Philippine and US defense readiness gaya ng tactical interoperability.
Ang nasabing combined exercise ay may magsisimula sa March 5 hanggang March 24,2022.
Ang mga Army units na kalahok sa nasabing joint exercises ay ang 1st Brigade Combat Team, Training and Doctrine Command, Army Support Command, 51st Engineer Brigade, Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Army Artillery Regiment, Aviation Regiment, Armor Division, Light Reaction Regiment, Special Forces Regiment, at First Scout Ranger Regiment kasama ang kanilang USARPAC counterparts.
Pinuri naman ni Philippine Army, Commanding General (CGPA) Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner, Jr. ang Salaknib planning team sa kabila ng nararanasang pandemya ay all-set na ang nasabing bilateral exercise.
“Salaknib, which means shield in Ilocano, is a testament to our enduring ties with the US Army. It is anchored on the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty and has been ongoing since 2015. The conduct of combined training exercises between the Philippine and US armies will capacitate us in effectively dealing with the fast-changing security landscape of the Indo-Pacific region,” pahayag ni Lt. Gen. Brawner.
